The administration appears to have lost its collective mind. The president has added ground forces to the battle in Iraq and the military has suggested introducing thousands more. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel might be lucky having been left at the curb.

Why was this a mistake? The reason is that it is reductive to the point of inaccuracy and has therefore prevented the Israeli security establishment and the rest of the world from understanding what Hamas wants and how to engage it on proper terms.

Today is Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. As with Lent in Christianity and Yom Kippur in Judaism, this fasting creates space for reflection, humility and compassion. Current events in many Muslim countries give cause for all three.